Where He Longs To Be
by MusicianOfTheNight
Summary: When a strange illumination comes from the mirror a year later, Christine and Meg vie for the heart behind the mask.
1. Default Chapter

I do not own Phantom

**Where He Longs To Be**

Meg Giry had been a dancer for many years, but ever since she met the man in the mask she knew where she was meant to be. After Christine Daae had revealed why she had disappeared for several days, she couldn't help but feel a pang or two of jealousy. "Why her?" had been the monotonous tone she had sobbed herself to sleep many a night after Erik had seemingly disappeared. Why was she not the one he longed for as he was for her? Why couldn't she have been the one he had been inspired by? Why Christine? She had not yet openly admitted her devotion to Erik to anyone, and with every passing day she could not see him the knife of depression dug deeper into her heart.

"Meg?" Christine Daae whispered as she entered a dressing-room of the Opera Populaire. Not surprisingly, this had been her dressing room not so long ago. _It has only been a year, _Christine thought, _yet it feels like only yesterday he had come to me. _She quickly brushed a tear from her eye and shook the thought if Erik from her head. _I can not let Meg see me cry_, Christine immediately thought. She had been crying herself to sleep for the whole year and could not bear to think of him or she would run the risk of losing the only stability she had and losing that would be like losing Erik again. She stared into the mirror, and could almost see him there, calling for her to come to him. She could still feel his lips on hers, and she could still see his face. The face that had at once instilled fear in her heart, the face that was so unfeeling yet pleaded with her. Her fingers hovered over the ring Raoul had used to propose for a second time. She wished to toss it to the floor, to rewind time and stay with Erik. However, she could not do as she wished. A voice came floating back to her. It sang over and over in her head. _Christine, I love you._

Meg opened the door to a dressing room to see Christine standing there, staring at herself in the mirror. "Christine?" she inquired as if she did not know the face of her friend. Christine spun around and gasped. She was obviously taken aback by Meg calling her name. Meg saw a familiar look in her eyes. She had been thinking about Erik, her phantom, no doubt. That familiar anger began to rear its ugly head. She choked back tears and called again. "Christine?" she choked out behind the tears.

"Meg?" Christine replied, "Why are you crying? It has only been a couple of weeks since I saw you last." She was oblivious to the fact that Meg was crying for lost love, not for seeing Christine again. She reached for Meg's hand, but was surprised when Meg pulled away. Meg was staring coldly into the space behind Christine. Christine followed her gaze and only then did Christine notice what she was looking at. There was a faint light glowing from the other side of the mirror. "I didn't light any of those candles," Christine swore. They both thought of the one logical person who must have lit them. Christine held her breath and pulled the mirror so it would let them see within. She and Meg both rushed into the passageway that had been concealed by the mirror. The boat was gone.

Together they ran through many passages seeing as they did not want to get soaked by swimming. Rats scurried around their feet, but they paid no attention to them. They both thought of Erik as they ran. Could he have returned? They both wondered if this means they had a second chance. Meg wanted to know if she could finally prove that she was worthy of his devotion. Christine longed to know if she could change her mind and stay with Erik until the end of her days. They both turned down a damp corridor and saw everything as it had been left. Except in a boat near the shore, a man was stepping out of a boat and onto the shore.

The man walked to the piano he had composed on so long ago and picked up a small white mask shaped like half of a face. Christine stepped from the shadows and he spun around. "Christine," Erik said softly. She walked up to him and took his hand in hers. She raised it to her face and brushed her cheek with it.

"Erik," Christine began.

Meg Giry had waited all her life for this moment. She was to finally profess her love to the man who deserved it. She saved her love for him and now she was to reveal it to him. She watched him step out of the boat and grab his mask. _You don't need that,_ she thought. Meg pleaded silently for him to put it down when Christine stepped forward. Had she come this far to have Christine steal it away from her? "Erik," Christine began.

"No!" a cry came from the labyrinth. Christine turned her head, as if asking Meg if she was the one who had yelled. Meg only shrugged. Raoul burst into the large room. Meg saw this as an opportune moment and ran forth and grabbed Erik in her arms, placed his hands around her waist, and pressed her lips against his. Time seemed to stop for everybody in that room. Christine dropped to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably. Raoul knelt next to her and reached to her to console her. She pulled away. Meg and Erik broke their kiss and Erik stood there in shock.

Christine rose and stared into Erik's eyes. Those deep pools of love and devotion which she had been lost in so many times before. He had spent a long year lamenting the loss of Christine, and she saw in his eyes the creature Meg had seen. "I love you," Christine choked out between sobs. She took off Raoul's ring and gave it to the Vicomte. "I'm sorry Raoul, but it is Erik whom I love," Christine told him. Raoul gave it back to her and said, "If that is what you want, then keep this as a memento of me." Christine nodded and took a step closer to him. She thanked him and then turned away from him to Erik.

"If you really do wish to stay with Meg, then by all means, go ahead," Christne said. A smile came over Meg's face, thanking Christine for the chance to have what she had always wanted. Raoul had left and Christine began to follow him until she felt a hand on her shoulder. The hand was not gloved, it was Meg's.

"Thank you," she whispered. Christine pulled away and walked out of the room in which she had been loved. She turned the corner and fell to the floor and cried. She then heard approaching footsteps and quickly stood and dried her tears. However, this person was crying as well. She saw Meg run past and turned to see Erik alone.

"Erik?" she asked, "I thought you- but Meg-" She became silent. They walked to each other. Erik grabbed her hand, and put his mouth to her ear.

"You alone," he whispered. She remembered how that had been one of the last words he had spoken before he disappeared. He pulled his head away, and held her hands in his. His gloves were off, and his hands were cold. He brought his head close to hers and pressed his lips to her. She was stunned. He had chosen her, not Meg. He had let her go so he could be with Christine. Her hand weakened and she heard a clink on the floor and a splash in the water. It was Raoul's ring. Then Erik walked to his piano and began to play a slow, meaningful tune. It was her song. He had composed it long ago. Then, as memories of long ago would, they faded away into the cold past. All that mattered was the present and her future with Erik. She followed him to the piano and sat on the bench with him, and began to sing their song until their memories faded into grey as the past would.


	2. Christine's Ending

Again... I do not own Phantom

Christine rose and stared into Erik's eyes. Those deep pools of love and devotion which she had been lost in so many times before. He had spent a long year lamenting the loss of Christine, and she saw in his eyes the creature Meg had seen. "I love you," Christine choked out between sobs. She took off Raoul's ring and gave it to the Vicomte. "I'm sorry Raoul, but it is Erik whom I love," Christine told him. Raoul gave it back to her and said, "If that is what you want, then keep this as a memento of me." Christine nodded and took a step closer to him. She thanked him and then turned away from him to Erik.

"If you really do wish to stay with Meg, then by all means, go ahead," Christne said. A smile came over Meg's face, thanking Christine for the chance to have what she had always wanted. Raoul had left and Christine began to follow him until she felt a hand on her shoulder. The hand was not gloved, it was Meg's.

"Thank you," she whispered. Christine pulled away and walked out of the room in which she had been loved. She turned the corner and fell to the floor and cried. She then heard approaching footsteps and quickly stood and dried her tears. However, this person was crying as well. She saw Meg run past and turned to see Erik alone.

"Erik?" she asked, "I thought you- but Meg-" She became silent. They walked to each other. Erik grabbed her hand, and put his mouth to her ear.

"You alone," he whispered. She remembered how that had been one of the last words he had spoken before he disappeared. He pulled his head away, and held her hands in his. His gloves were off, and his hands were cold. He brought his head close to hers and pressed his lips to her. She was stunned. He had chosen her, not Meg. He had let her go so he could be with Christine. Her hand weakened and she heard a clink on the floor and a splash in the water. It was Raoul's ring. Then Erik walked to his piano and began to play a slow, meaningful tune. It was her song. He had composed it long ago. Then, as memories of long ago would, they faded away into the cold past. All that mattered was the present and her future with Erik. She followed him to the piano and sat on the bench with him, and began to sing their song until their memories faded into grey as the past would.


End file.
